Team: Six Essentials for Building a Productive Team

Every organization wants to achieve the kind of success that leads to greater success, and every leader wants to guide a successful venture. Leaders with drive want to be surrounded by people who have an overarching desire to expand all boundaries and utilize their talents for the good of the goal. Effective team members see problems as challenges, boundaries as movable, and the synergism of the team as a way to reach their goals. It's important to note, however, that a group of people working together toward a common goal will not necessarily make a team. They might merely be "a group of people working toward a common goal." I am completely committed to the team concept in the workplace. Obviously, much more can be accomplished by a finely tuned team of people than can be accomplished by one person; but more than that, people thrive when they are in an environment that values a team approach to the tasks at hand. Establishing and cultivating the concept of team in and among those you oversee will spark a fresh fire of productivity that will be as noticeable as it is enjoyable.

Brent Eldridge is a sought-after conference speaker and has begun to consult with a variety of organizations on building cohesive teams. He serves as the lead pastor at First Baptist Church of Lakewood in Long Beach. He lives in southern California with his wife, Kristin, and their three young children.